Voestalpine shifts Danube cargo to rail amid low water levels

Austrian steelmaker Voestalpine has halted river freight on the Danube because of unusually low water levels, moving the portion of its cargo that normally travels by ship to rail. CEO Herbert Eibensteiner said the shift affects roughly one‑fifth of the company's annual 17 million tonnes of material, with the majority already transported by train, and that the change incurs no additional cost.

The company used the occasion to report strong first‑quarter results: EBITDA rose to €495 million from €361 million a year earlier, and net profit jumped to €196 million, helped by a €100 million one‑off gain from the sale of its subsidiary Böhler Profil. Revenue edged up to about €4 billion. Voestalpine also highlighted a €470 million order for the Rail Baltica high‑speed line and continued focus on restructuring and international growth projects.